Some of the edible coating formulations mentioned in the literature include the following: a) lecithin-methyl anthranilate-acid emulsion (W. L. Shillington and J. J. Liggett, U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,810, Oct. 13, 1970); b) hydrolyzed lecithin (T. J. Mulder, U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,826, Jun. 24, 1969); c) acrylate and methacrylate polymers (C. F. de Long and T. H. Shepherd, U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,691, Jun. 13, 1972); d) polymers of vinyl acetate (D. Rosenfield, U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,696, Nov. 12, 1968); e) preservative coating consisting of shortening, stearic acid, anionic emulsifier and methylparaben (T. R. Thomson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,057, Mar. 10, 1987); f) TAL Prolong, an aqueous dispersion of sucrose esters of fatty acids and the sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose (J. Exper. Bot 35(10):127-137); and g) Semperfresh, a sucrose-fatty acid polyester (J. Food Sci. 52(3):685-690). These coatings were applied on fresh fruits and vegetables and were reported to be effective in preventing deteriorative changes and prolonging harvest life. However, these coatings suffer from the disadvantages of having only limited applicability and high cost.